Diagnosis

The age of the patient influences the extent of the workup. Early studies suggested that infants younger than age 3 months were at high risk for life-threatening infection.12!3 Recent studies based on outpatients show that the incidence of serious bacterial infection, including bacteremia and meningitis, is about 3 to 4 percent, although serious nonbacterial infections (e.g., aseptic meningitis) are a frequent cause of fever in this age group. 1 l5 and 16

The term vaginitis is one that is applied to any inflammation or infection of the vagina, and there are many different conditions that are categorized together under this ‘broad’ heading, including bacterial vaginosis, trichomoniasis and non-infectious vaginitis.